If the home-made Kimchi crisis caught your attention, you must be thrilled at the FDA Food Safety Act in Congress now.

The food Safety Act intends to regulate everyone that produces food, or components that could be used in food for people or animals. Plus, they intend to regulate anyone that transports or stores or warehouses any food or components that might be used in food for animals or people. The only one exempt are those restaurants currently regulated by health departments. Everyone else with a bag of popcorn in the pantry or a tomato stand in the front yard falls under the FDA, under the current Food Safety Act proposal.

Like the Dept of Ag behemoth, the National Animal Identification System for tagging, tracking, and recording each cow and pig, flock of chickens, ducks, and geese, sheep, goats, horse, and other food-oriented livestock, the Food Safety Act includes mandatory federal records and reporting (I don't think the FSA requires 24 hours reporting on movements like NAIS does - or face a federal fine). Mandatory annual reviews of records and unannounced, non-warrant surprise visits to review records and procedures.

Monsanto wrote the FSA, they apparently feel threatened that some folks are holding back on buying their high priced seed, or following the Monsanto company line for handling grains and produce.

I wrote my Senators, and asked them to oppose this useless burden on food supplies and prices.

Fortunately, I live in the middle of the 4th largest Korean Center in the world, after Seoul, LA, and Busan, in that order, so I can get any of the hundred variety of kimchi any time I want. Koreans: Blowing off government tyranny for over a hundred years.

In my bikie shop years, lived out the condiment trays, rice sacks, and dry food aisles of Mom and Pop Korean shops. Never asked 'what it is?"; just bought some of 'it' and gave it a try. Helped support the grass roots capitalism that is the core of Korean enterprise, too.

Never got sick or poisoned, had zero percent body fat, resting heart rate of 42, & bicycled everywhere year round, at the West End of Lake Erie: KIMSHI POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

Healthy and happy years, them.

Would that the Leaders and Bureaucrats of the New American Byzantium had as much personal healthy poverty to keep them busy.

Mebbe the experience of clear-minded happiness would give pause to the egg-headed, poorly over-educated, theorists Who Would Rule Everything, now. Do ya think that it would cause them to pause on their rocket sled ride to re-instituting Medieval Overseer Government?

Nah. That's because they are ALREADY orgasmically happy at the prospect of micro-managing and criminalizing every tiny aspect of American human life.

The Comintern and 1930's Russia are SUCH wonderful role models for the current buncha forkers.

Still and all, a good pint of Flaming Kimshi might keep them incommunicado for a day or two.

Damm Tam. I have not read the comments on this over at the other place yet , but girl you sure brought a few out who could stand to loosen a fold or two on the old tinfoil hat . Anyone with a food service license is held to a set of standards , much like anyone with a conceal carry ticket . I occasionally get tamales from a nice lady who i either pay or do favors for . This helps her stretch her income and helps me by feeding my fix . However they are not avalable at any market . dies

Thing is, I wouldn't put it past the guys who gave us the Consumer Safety Product Improvement Act to write something that accidentally regulated every mother making sandwiches for her kids under the same system as the folks who run Mickey D's and KFC.

It is worth askin' whether they are about to. But it is no longer in the realm of tin-foil-hatterty to claim that it might happen this year or the next.

2) Make sure you put the most adverse interpretation on any language. (Why? See #6)

3) Note that it applies to "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation," or any "establishment that stores, holds, or transports food products prior to delivery for retail sale." Note that each "establishment" must register with the feds within 90 days. (Sec.202)

5) Note the record keeping requirements. (Sec.210) Go ask your friendly firearms dealer how much fun it is to be keeping records for the feds.

6) Note especially that the bill includes a "citizen civil action" provision (Sec 409). Translated, this means anybody with a law degree and some spare time can bring suit against anyone covered under the act. Loser pays court cost/attorney fees/expenses. This has worked "extermely well" with the Americans with Disabilities Act, so well that there are now a number of lawyers who have combined with disabled "professional plaintiffs" to make a good living by going around suing (or threatening to sue, then settling with) small businesses.